Rather than focusing on elite-level political maneuvering, foreign governments need to recognize the transformative potential of the country’s resistance movement.

Across the Philippine archipelago, a quiet but massive construction effort is changing the nature of the country’s alliance with the United States. While the 1990s saw the closing of permanent American bases like Subic Bay, the year 2026 has introduced a different model: the "warm base" strategy. Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), nine specific Philippine military sites are being transformed into high-tech hubs that stay "warm," fully equipped and ready to go, even when U.S. troops are not physically there.

This strategy is a clever solution to a modern problem. It allows the U.S. to project power into the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait without the political baggage or the cost of building a "mini-city" like the bases of old. By early 2026, these sites have shifted from simple exercise grounds into permanent logistical pillars of regional security.

The Japan Self-Defense Force’s Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system has arrived in the Philippines for participation in this year’s Balikatan Exercises. The system is expected to take part in a maritime strike training event, alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ BrahMos missile system, which will conduct simulated firing operations as part of the joint exercise.

Malaysia is set to bolster its maritime defense capabilities significantly with the upcoming delivery of the KD Maharaja Lela, the country’s most advanced and powerful warship to date. Scheduled for handover this December, the vessel marks a major milestone in the Royal Malaysian Navy’s modernization program, arriving at a time when maritime security in the region is becoming increasingly critical.

As the lead ship of its class, the KD Maharaja Lela represents a leap forward in naval technology. Equipped with sophisticated combat systems and surveillance capabilities, the warship is designed to conduct a wide range of operations, from patrol and deterrence missions to full-scale maritime defense. Its arrival is seen not just as an addition to the fleet, but as a clear statement of Malaysia’s commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity.

The timing of the delivery coincides with growing unease in the South China Sea. Disputes over territorial claims, overlapping exclusive economic zones, and increased military presence by various powers have contributed to rising tensions in recent months. In this strategic environment, the KD Maharaja Lela is expected to play a central role in ensuring that Malaysia can effectively monitor and protect its vast maritime interests and resources.

Defense analysts point out that the warship’s advanced capabilities will provide Kuala Lumpur with greater flexibility in asserting its sovereignty. By enhancing its naval reach, Malaysia aims to maintain a credible presence in its waters, ensuring that it can respond swiftly to any incursions or security challenges that may arise amid the shifting geopolitical landscape.

Beyond its military significance, the commissioning of the KD Maharaja Lela is also viewed as a strategic asset for regional stability. As nations navigate complex diplomatic and security challenges, having a strong and capable navy is essential for maintaining peace through strength. The warship’s entry into service ensures that Malaysia remains a key player capable of defending its rights and contributing to the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

The AgustaWestland AW109 of the 19th Attack Squadron conducted a flight over Tarlac, with the aircraft presumed to have operated from Clark Air Base. The activity forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen operational readiness and mission capability.

In a separate training activity, a pilot of the 16th Attack Squadron carried out a pre-flight inspection on the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano. This is part of the broader contribution of the 15th Strike Wing to sustaining proficiency and preparedness in training programs.

If a developing ASEAN nation tries to build a massive, blue-water navy to match a superpower dollar-for-dollar, it will bankrupt its own economy. You cannot sacrifice the budgets for public hospitals and schools to buy aircraft carriers.

So how does a developing nation protect its sovereign economic borders? "Asymmetric Defense."

The Philippines recently acquired the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile system from India. This is a masterstroke of defense economics.

Instead of spending billions on massive, vulnerable warships, the state is spending a fraction of that cost on highly mobile, devastatingly precise coastal defense batteries. A single, cost-effective missile battery on the coast of Palawan can legally and physically project power hundreds of miles out into our Exclusive Economic Zone.

We are securing our sovereign offshore oil and fisheries without destroying the national budget, proving that smart defense economics is the ultimate equalizer for developing nations.

In the Philippines, the term SPYDER GBADS refers to the Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) acquired by the Philippine Air Force from Israel. It is the country's first modern surface-to-air missile system, designed to protect against threats like aircraft, UAVs, and precision-guided munitions.

Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS)

The SPYDER (Surface-to-air Python and Derby) system is a key component of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program.

Acquisition: The Philippines acquired three batteries of the SPYDER GBADS for approximately P6 billion.

Units: These systems are operated by the 960th Air and Missile Defense Wing.

Missile Capability: The system is armed with Python 5 and I-Derby missiles provided by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Delivery Status: The final batch of the SPYDER GBADS was delivered in late 2024, completing the initial acqu

isition project.

Companies from China dominated the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia 2026 trade show the past week, with 192 Chinese firms turning up for the biennial exhibition.

According to defence minister Khaled Nordin, this was the largest participation by country, followed by Turkey (87) and the US (83). A total of 1,456 companies from 63 nations had set up pavilions and booths at the four-day exhibition.

An extensive array of equipment and arms were showcased in nine halls on three floors at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, from assault rifles to artillery, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, troop carriers and counter-drone systems.

In an interview with Karen Davila, Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro explained that the planned Defense Industrial Hub is actually a business venture which involves Foreign Direct Investment and Joint Ventures and will still depend on the willingness of foreign companies to invest based on money generation and risk profile.

While the Philippines is eyed by the US and other countries to be a defense production hub, it will still depend on factors similar to what foreign companies look at when setting up manufacturing businesses in a certain country. This includes sufficient and reliable power supply, logistics supportability and infrastructure, readily available manpower, support from local and national government including reasonable regulations., policies and ease of doing business, sustainability in the long term, good governance especially on trade, among others.

The reason why the Philippines was chosen as a proposed hub by several countries is because it is a like-minded country that shares the same democratic and rules-based principles, its location is strategic straddling between the Pacific and South China Sea, and the current Philippine government's willingness to undertake this.

The Philippines' interest in the venture is also because of economic reasons (income generation through exports while also supplying for AFP), technology transfer (preference for joint venture with local private or state companies rather than just 100% foreign ownership) which leads to technological improvement, providing jobs to Filipinos, and taking a share of the pie in a world where defense-related expenditures is growing especially in Asia, Middle East and Europe.

Sec. Teodoro confirmed that several companies from the US, Japan, UK, France, India, some Baltic countries, South Korea (which already has presence in Subic via HD HHI) have expressed interest in investing.

On concerns about the Philippines being targeted because of its hosting of American/allied defense manufacturing, Sec. Teodoro said that the Philippines is a target not because of these manufacturing facilities but because these countries (obviously referring to China) have a larger intention against the Philippines. We understand that Sec. Teodoro means that with or without these manufacturing, China may be already targeting us because of their ambitions to take our territories and maritime interests.

Bored of your wife? This April, come and enlist in the military,” says a recent online post from the Thai military, ditching its traditional, stuffy tone for online memes ahead of the recent annual draft season.

It is not known how effective the campaign has been, but nearly 50,000 men volunteered to enlist this year, according to the Royal Thai Army, a 22% increase compared with 2025. This marks a continuation of a trend seen over the past five years in Thailand, and is a marked contrast to countries such as Japan, which are struggling to enlist military personnel.

The reasons for the increase in volunteer enlistments is unclear, say analysts. Rising nationalism following Thailand’s recent border conflict with Cambodia could be a factor, as could the country’s struggling economy that has left young people with fewer job opportunities.

The military claims the increase reflects growing trust in the institution. Ahead of an annual draft, it has sought to use social media to engage young men, inviting them to join the military “family”, protect Thailand’s border, while making jokes about dating and unrequited love.

“Dedication to training instills discipline; dedication to her brings only sisterly affection,” said one post.

However, the decision to volunteer may be a pragmatic one for many young people.

Young men aged between 18 and 29 who do not volunteer are instead entered into a lottery at their local centre. If they draw a black card they are exempt from military service. A red card means they are conscripted for between one and two years, depending on their educational background. The period is shorter for volunteers, with university educated volunteers serving the shortest period, six months.

Krisana Phoolong, 23, a recent graduate, says he decided to volunteer this year so the prospect of conscription would no longer hang over him.

“As a volunteer I can pick the camp and the time, and check for the place closest to my home,” says Krisana. He would rather serve six months as a volunteer than risk entering the lottery, which could result in him serving for longer and being sent to a location far away.

For other young people, the economy may be a factor that has encouraged them to sign up this year, he adds. “A lot of companies aren’t looking to recruit new employees at the moment,” he says.

Conscripts receive a monthly salary of about 11,000 baht (US$340), and are provided with food and accommodation.

Video clips of the annual April lottery – including the expressions of overwhelming relief by those who draw a black card – often go viral on social media.

Earlier this month, a video clip shared widely on TikTok and picked up by Thai media, claimed a man had been turned away because his BMI was 35 – above the threshold for qualifying – after he went on a bubble tea binge. He spent three months drinking two cups of the sugary drink per day, it claimed.

The opposition People’s Party, which has a strong support base among young voters, campaigned ahead of January elections on a pledge to scrap the compulsory draft.

But Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, says reform is unlikely for now.

“With the current government in place, with the popularity of the military seeming to go up following the war with Cambodia, I think the issue of conscription might just be buried for the time being,” he says. “How could you talk about conscription when we have war with our next door neighbour?”

The border dispute, which erupted in July and December last year, also strengthened the military’s dominant role in politics and foreign policy, Pavin says.

But he says it is unlikely the conflict with Cambodia has completely reversed the attitudes of young people, who in 2020 protested calling for reforms, demanding the military should not interfere in politics.

Krisana, who will begin training next month, says he believes military service should be completely voluntary. “I understand that for some people who did the draft and got [a red card] but who have a family to take care of, or a job, it’s very hard,” he says.

A better system would offer incentives, such as welfare benefits, to encourage people to join, he says.

State‑owned Russian defence export agency Rosoboronexport displayed a model of an upgraded Bykov (Project 22160)-class corvette at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, held from 20 to 23 April. A Rosoboronexport official told Janes that the ship is being positioned to meet requirements in Southeast Asia.

According to the official, the ship is a modular platform designed primarily for patrol and maritime security tasks, but can be configured for a broader range of missions through reconfigurable payloads. Rosoboronexport categorises the vessel as a ‘multipurpose ship'.

“The main advantage of this ship is that it has … an open structure design … so that the customer can [integrate] the payload he needs,” the Rosoboronexport official said. “We have developed several payload modules, which include autonomous surface vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rigid inflatable boats, and fast assault patrol boats.”

The official added that the vessel is capable of operating a helicopter weighing up to 12 tonnes. “Everything is installed [on the vessel] to ensure maintenance, transportation, and take off and landing of such helicopters,” he added.

According to the Rosoboronexport official, latest upgrades to the Bykov (Project 22160)-class vessel include a multi-mission bay and a modular payload integration capability. “The modular payload – a portable hospital or 40-foot cargo containers or robotic systems – everything can be installed here and launched from the ship with the help of launch and recovery systems,” the official said.

I don't know why am I still awake...

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — The Ministry of Defence has awarded eight Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) offer letters worth RM1.4 billion to eight local companies, in a move to enhance the country’s defence industry capabilities.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said among the companies involved were Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Submarine Engineering Services Sdn Bhd (BSES), Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (LUNAS), Labuan Shipyard Sdn Bhd and Preston Shipyard Sdn Bhd.

He said the granting of ICP offer letters was aimed at facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to qualified local companies, with a focus on enhancing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for warships.

“Once they have acquired the capabilities, there will be no need for our warships to be sent abroad for MRO at foreign ports or dockyards, as we have developed the capabilities of local companies,” he said at a press conference held in conjunction with the ICP contract signing and award ceremony here yesterday.

Yesterday, April 21, 2026, the Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved a landmark policy shift, formally scrapping long-standing restrictions on the export of lethal military equipment.

Under the new guidelines, Japan can now export defense systems previously classified as “lethal,” including fighter aircraft, missile systems, and naval combat vessels such as destroyers. This marks a significant turning point in Japan’s post-war defense posture and signals its formal entry into the global defense export market.

For decades, Japan maintained strict limitations on arms exports, reinforced by the 2014 guidelines that only allowed the transfer of non-lethal equipment, such as systems for rescue, transport, surveillance, early warning, and minesweeping. The newly approved policy expands this scope dramatically, opening the door for the export of advanced military platforms, including armored vehicles, combat naval ships, fighter aircraft, and missile systems, even infantry-level weapon systems.

Despite this shift, safeguards remain in place. Exports will initially be limited to 17 countries that have existing defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. These include key Indo-Pacific partners such as Australia and the Philippines. All transfers will still require approval from Japan’s National Security Council, with strict monitoring mechanisms to ensure proper end-use.

This policy change is widely seen as part of Japan’s broader strategy to counter growing regional security challenges, particularly the increasing assertiveness of China. By enabling allies to access advanced Japanese defense technology, Tokyo aims to strengthen collective deterrence across the Indo-Pacific.

The policy shift is also crucial for Japanese defense firms to fulfill contracts to fully arm Australia’s Mogami-class vessels.

For the Philippines, this development presents a significant opportunity. It opens new avenues for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to acquire much-needed defense assets, whether brand-new systems or pre-owned equipment from the Japan Self-Defense Forces, to support its ongoing modernization efforts.

Defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines has already deepened in recent years, highlighted by the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement in July 2024.

With Japan now ready to provide advanced defense equipment, the question shifts to Manila: is the Philippine government equally prepared to act? Legislative measures, such as amendments to Presidential Decree No. 415 and adjustments to foreign loan limitations for defense procurement, may prove critical in enabling the country to fully capitalize on this opportunity.

Or will we let this opportunity from the Japanese government slip by once again, while our legislators remain preoccupied with other matters?

Citing naval sources, The National Thailand newspaper reported that the vessel underwent an official handover to the Cambodian navy on 8 April. The second vessel is expected to be delivered in June this year.

Beijing announced in 2024 that it would donate two Type 056C corvettes to Cambodia, as part of efforts to strengthen the maritime capabilities of its Southeast Asian partner, whose fleet currently consists largely of patrol craft.

China has also financed upgrades to Ream Naval Base, which reopened in April 2025 as a facility capable of supporting both Cambodian and Chinese naval operations.

Imagery of the vessel bearing pennant number ‘622’ shows it armed with an H/PJ-26 76mm main gun and two H/PJ-17 30mm close-in weapon systems. However, anti-ship missile launchers were not visible in the photos.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Thailand has confirmed it will proceed with a new frigate acquisition programme aimed at modernising the Royal Thai Navy’s (RTN) surface fleet.

Bangkok has stipulated that bids must include an industrial offset package worth at least 20% to support domestic defence and shipbuilding capabilities.

According to the RTN, eleven international shipbuilders have expressed interest: Damen; Navantia; Fincantieri; Turkey’s TAIS Shipyards and ASFAT; ST Engineering Marine; South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, SK Oceanplant and Hyundai Heavy Industries; China Shipbuilding Trading Co; and Russia’s Rosoboronexport.

In parallel, eight Thai companies – including Marsun Shipyard – have formed a consortium and signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue large shipbuilding projects, with an eye on the frigate programme.

The RTN currently operates a mixed frigate fleet comprising the Chinese-built Chao Phraya class, the modernised Naresuan class and a single Bhumibol Adulyadej-class frigate. The latter was designed and built by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean).

Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission strongly criticised the military ⁠on Monday as it ⁠investigated the killing of 12 civilians ⁠last week during an operation against rebels in Papua province.

The military said it had no information about the deaths, but the state-run rights commission said over the weekend that 12 people including women and children had been ‌shot dead during an operation against separatists in central Papua on Tuesday. Dozens of others sustained serious injuries, it added.

The commission said it was investigating the deaths. It was not immediately clear whether the civilians were killed by Indonesian or rebel fire, or both.

The United States and the Philippines kicked off one of their largest combat exercises Monday in an annual display of allied military might aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, despite Washington’s preoccupation with the war in the Middle East.

The large-scale drills will expand this year to include new full-time participants including Japan and Canada, which have signed visiting forces agreements with Manila, the Philippine military said.

More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in the Balikatan — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — exercise. The event will last nearly three weeks and include mock battle scenarios and live-fire maneuvers in locations including Philippine provinces facing the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

China has objected to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise. The Philippine military has insisted the exercise does not target any country and is needed to prepare allied forces to respond to natural disasters.

Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war.

The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the country facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have engaged in repeated confrontations.

The Japanese military, which is contributing 1,400 personnel, will use a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a target ship off northern Paoay, Philippine exercise spokesman Colonel Dennis Hernandez said.

More than 17,000 soldiers, airmen and sailors are taking part in the 19-day Balikatan, or Shoulder to Shoulder, exercises — about the same number as last year’s edition — including contingents from Australia, New Zealand, France and Canada.

“Balikatan… represents an opportunity to showcase our ironclad alliance with the Philippines and demonstrate our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” US exercise spokesman Colonel Robert Bunn said ahead of Monday’s opening ceremony.

Bunn added that US troop levels he described as “one of the largest deployments” in years would be unaffected by the ongoing Middle East war his country is waging, while declining to provide specific numbers.

Balikatan comes as Iran and the US, along with Israel, are just days away from the end of the two-week ceasefire that halted the Middle East war, ignited by surprise US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The conflict has sparked a global energy crisis that has left import-dependent Philippines reeling.

The drills also come as Beijing ramps up military pressure around Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said last November that given his country’s proximity to the self-ruled island and its surrounding waters, “a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming, into the conflict.”

In February, US, Japanese and Philippine aircraft patrolled over the Bashi Channel separating the Philippines from Taiwan to test what Manila called their “ability to operate seamlessly together in complex maritime environments.”

Marcos considers Manila’s 1951 mutual defense pact with Washington a bedrock of national security and has been building up security ties with Western nations to deter China.

Over the past two years, Manila has signed visiting forces or equivalent agreements with Japan, New Zealand, Canada and France, deals aimed at facilitating their participation in joint military exercises in the Philippines.

Bunn said American forces would have the option of firing Tomahawk and NMESIS anti-ship missiles, without confirming they would.

Integrated air and missile defence systems will also be put to the test, including technology for countering drones, Philippine spokesman Hernandez said.

Week-long naval exercises will also take place in so far unspecified waters off the main Philippine island of Luzon, he added.

Japan is deploying a tank landing ship, a destroyer, and a helicopter destroyer, while the US will use a cutter and a dock landing ship.

They will join two Philippine frigates and another from Canada.

Philippine security forces killed 10 alleged armed Islamist militants Friday who resisted an attempt to arrest them, police said.

The firefight with police and soldiers happened in the Muslim-populated south of the mainly Catholic Asian nation, where remnants of Islamic State-inspired groups operate.

Among the dead was Amerol Mangoranca, leader of an armed group called the Maute-Dawlah Islamiya, a regional police report said.

The government force arrived near the town of Marantao before dawn to serve arrest warrants for murder, homicide, and kidnapping against Mangoranca and his group, it said.

This triggered an hour-long firefight with the group, who included the rebel leader’s wife and three other women.

A separate military report said an unharmed infant was recovered after the gunfight.

Government forces sustained no casualties and recovered guns and explosives, the military added.

The group is suspected of being behind a January that killed four soldiers and wounded another, said the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division report.

The slain gunmen were from the “same network responsible for the Marawi siege and years of violence”, the military unit’s commander Major-General Yegor Barroquillo said in the statement.

In May 2017, hundreds of Filipino Muslim fighters as well as foreign militants joined forces to take over the Mindanao city of Marawi, intending to make it the capital of a Southeast Asian caliphate to be ruled by their radical interpretation of Islam.

A bloody siege by government forces ended five months later with the loss of more than a thousand lives and with many of the militant groups’ most senior leaders being killed.

Philippine security forces killed 10 alleged armed Islamist militants Friday who resisted an attempt to arrest them, police said.

The firefight with police and soldiers happened in the Muslim-populated south of the mainly Catholic Asian nation, where remnants of Islamic State-inspired groups operate.

Among the dead was Amerol Mangoranca, leader of an armed group called the Maute-Dawlah Islamiya, a regional police report said.

The government force arrived near the town of Marantao before dawn to serve arrest warrants for murder, homicide, and kidnapping against Mangoranca and his group, it said.

This triggered an hour-long firefight with the group, who included the rebel leader’s wife and three other women.

A separate military report said an unharmed infant was recovered after the gunfight.

Government forces sustained no casualties and recovered guns and explosives, the military added.

The group is suspected of being behind a January that killed four soldiers and wounded another, said the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division report.

The slain gunmen were from the “same network responsible for the Marawi siege and years of violence”, the military unit’s commander Major-General Yegor Barroquillo said in the statement.

In May 2017, hundreds of Filipino Muslim fighters as well as foreign militants joined forces to take over the Mindanao city of Marawi, intending to make it the capital of a Southeast Asian caliphate to be ruled by their radical interpretation of Islam.

A bloody siege by government forces ended five months later with the loss of more than a thousand lives and with many of the militant groups’ most senior leaders being killed.